Keyboard size and function for personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones have evolved to keep up with the continued reduction in overall size of these devices. Presently, keyboards are provided on the front side of the device with varying combinations of keystroke and key identifiers to provide functional user data input. Two types of keyboards are currently in wide use; “querty” and “Dvorak” comprising multiple function keys. Traditional keyboard function on PDAs, cell phones, and other hand-held microprocessor devices have inherent disadvantages, including the following:
1. Small keys requiring use of a stylus or slow manual hunt and peck input keystrokes;
2. Multiple functions per key requiring multiple keystrokes on the same key; and
3. Lack of spacing between and among keys consistent with the size of the user's fingers.
The following U.S. patents disclose key boards believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,089, issued Nov. 30, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,323, issued Oct. 27, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,001, issued Feb. 27, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,218, issued May 16, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,030, issued Jul. 7, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,939, issued May 14, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,321, issued Aug. 21, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,471, issued Jun. 26, 1979, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 381,017, issued Jul. 15, 1997.